Adrift in Brilliance
by gabbwee
Summary: Next Generation. Battle wages overhead as Yukari Uzumaki learns the way of the ninja. Growing up, suddenly doesn't seem so exciting when your life lays in the balance between a war and a massacre. Struggling to bring honor to her family, Yukari fights to break the barriers that have always surrounded her life. Can you fight when what you're fighting is yourself? Read and Review!
1. Chapter 1

Adrift in Brilliance

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**Hey guys! First, hopefully full length, story to be created by me! wooh! Show some love and Read and Review!**

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Chapter one: Growing pains.

Age 5

A playground lay destroyed and helpless in the morning sun. Charred wood sat lamely, smoke wafting warmly off it. A broken swing lay sadly across the ground, chains smashed and scattered. No hope. Scarlet hair glowed like the flames that had torn across the playground mere minutes ago. Blue eyes stare blankly at the scene lying before her, a small stuffed toad clutched tightly in her chubby white hands. Her favorite place destroyed. Destroyed by an enemy nation. Decimated.

Flashes of green flak jackets and shiny hitai-ate fly through the air, faces set in angry lines. Sirens blare through the air, movement everywhere you looked. Explosive tags light up the sky, creating dangerous fireworks across the horizon. War wasn't just imminent now. Few notice the red-haired girl, sparing simple looks to ensure she wasn't hurt before moving on quickly. There was far too many injured to worry about unharmed children.

One strip of pink distinguished it's self from the other moving figures. Emerald eyes bright with worry and unrestrained anger met the child's owlish blue eyes. Trouble plainly written across her face.

"Kaa-san," the girl shifted, breaking contact quickly. Oh, she knew she was in trouble.

The pink haired kunoichi wasted no time in sweeping up the tiny child. Without breaking a step, she leaped back onto the roofs and sped off toward the shelter of the underground bunkers.

"I told you not to leave the house," the ninja sighed, unconsciously patting the child's curtain of red hair ensuring that she truly had her daughter in her arms, "don't ever do that again."

The girl said nothing. Instead, clutching the toad tight with one arm and clinging to her mother's neck with the other, hot tears pricked at her eyes. Her simple life of playing aimless in her father's office, tugging on his white robe lined in ruby flames when she wanted attention, following her mother through the hospital as she waved her 'magic' hands around, were gone. Her color filled, simple mind couldn't quite wrap itself around the concept of war. But, she felt the difference. Saw it in the protective looks of the ninja moving around them. Saw it in the hate flooding the streets with its angry red color. As her mother carried her, swaddled in a tight embrace, through the town swiftly; she watched her childhood slip away into the smoke tinted air. That playground, her playground full of possible friends and happy memories, was gone.

Not many know when becoming a ninja is their goal. The fire that burns deep in their bellies. But, right then, _right there_, she knew. Deep in her five year old heart, she knew where she wanted to be. It bled into her soul, tainted it with the idea of shurikens and ninjutsu. Fighting. Protection.

At the age of five, while small children thought of nothing but food, and materialistic play things, Yukari Uzumaki wanted to be a ninja.

Age 6

It was no lie school was hard. It sucked away your hours of sleep with homework. Turned your mind to mush as it was crammed full of knowledge. School was a specifically created torture created by evil chuunin who had no lives. At least according to Yukari Uzumaki, who had heard the dreaded phrase from the Akamichi's eldest son Chouko. And on her first day of school, she told both parents so. Her ootou-san had just laughed at her as he tugged on her green shirt and white shorts, telling her all ninja had to go to school. Clearly they didn't understand she _was going_ to be the exception. At least she thought so.

"_No_!" the red-haired spite-fire cried, clinging to her father's leg as tightly as her chubby six year old arms could. Various other parents sat in the same predicament, children wailing and refusing to go. It was a separation intervention at its best.

"Yukari," the current Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki laughed, detached his daughter from his leg, "you want to be a good ninja, don't you?"

The girl nodded silently, glaring up through thick red bangs, she knew where this was going, "the best."

"In order to be _the best, _you have to go to school," Naruto beamed, blue eyes crinkling as he watched his only child try to come up with a good excuse for not going to school, nose scrunched up in consideration.

"But, Otou-san, you're the best ninja around and you don't have to go to school," the kid finally smiled in triumph, she knew her Otou-san didn't go to school. Well at least she thought he didn't…did he?

Naruto only laughed. He had a feeling she'd do fine in school. Or at least she'd be the one to come up with the best excuses on why she didn't have her homework. Naruto knelt down to meet his daughter's eyes evenly, "I'll be here to pick you up when it's over."

Yukari held out her pinky solemnly, eyes so serious she could have been attending someone's funeral, "Promise?"

"Promise," came the response as a pinky looped itself around the tiny one.

Age 6

On most days her father came and picked her up. If not her father, than her mother. Today should be no different. But it was.

Later than the usual time, Yukari sat quietly on a lone swing feet swinging as she waited impatiently. Did they forget her? Scowling, the little six year-old contemplated walking home. Only she couldn't really remember the route home. Otou-san and Kaa-san took care of directions. She didn't have to do that stuff. So, she kept swinging.

A lone figure crept up from the shadows behind the self-absorbed child. It's masked face melting into the shadows. A faint glint of a silver kunai hit the sun, the only evidence of the murder that was about to happen.

Closer.

Closer.

Closer it crept. One slash and it would be over.

Only it never came, just when a blow was to be delivered something sharp dug into his heart. Ending its beating life. Blood blossomed on his vest, its red wet petals speckling the ground. Dead.

The movement behind her sent the red-haired girl scuttling off the swing. Turning her eyes landed on the crumbled body and then the shadowed figure behind it.

"Are you alright, Uzumaki-hime?" the small shadowed figure asked, stepping out into the shadows. The ANBU's masked face painted with the design of an owl.

"My otou-san says not to go with ninja I don't know very well…" flame hair blowing into the child's face, lips pursed in a tight line, eyes wide, "is that man okay?" she pointed to the crippled man, unaware of the events that had just taken place.

"He won't be moving anywhere but down," the ANBU replied, walking forward to take the girl's small, plump hand. "Let's go find the hokage." It continued, looking back at the body and touching his ear gently. Signaling to another ANBU agent nearby. Threat gone. Time for cleanup.

"But otou-san said," the girl tried to pull away, blue eyes pooling with tears.

"We are going to him now," the ANBU sighed, pulling out a leaf-village Hitai-ate to show the little girl, "you can always trust a ninja with this symbol."

"That's our symbol!" Yukari agreed, finally acquiescing to being dragged off by the masked ninja. She had seen her Otou-san talk too many of these guys before. They certainly didn't look harmful with their cute painted masks on.

As they walked off the six-year old failed to see the black shadows moving in on the felled enemy.

That was the first unsucessful assassination attempt. Saved only by a passing AMBU's kunai. From then on she had someone trailing her at all times. There couldn't be any more attempts on her life. War was enough. But a dead hokage's daughter would bring about a world's destruction.

Age 6(still)

Class sizes had been small. The war taking away families, taking away could-be parents, ripping homes to shreds. Yukari could count the kids in her class on two hands. .5.6.7. _Seven children_. The largest class. The other two had possibly five. Teaching and teaching well, had become a priority. They needed ninjas fast. Fighters, protectors, strategists, there wasn't enough to continue these constant battles. This war with some country Yukari still didn't know the name of.

Huddled together in a small group they sat in front of the faces of their hokages', bright eyes staring at the likeness of each leader and listening with attentive ears as their Sensei spoke avidly of them, all except one.

Hair a silky curtain of red and orange flames blues eyes staring in rapt attention, but they didn't stare at the many faces of the leaders high above her. Instead her sky eyes followed a trail of strange bugs crawl up along the sidewalk. Captivated by the strange insects as they traveled onward toward a dark haired boy, watching them crawling across his neck, along his coat hem, and over his ears, captivated yet disgusted. What interested her more than the bugs was the boy himself. Tinted shades on, long jacket. They had only been in school several weeks, yet she had not seen him speak once. Not a sound. And he didn't even care about the bugs. She would care. But he didn't.

Others had called him "Bug-lover", "Silent _baka_" and no one corrected them. No one knew his real name either. What a shame. She bet it was cooler than those names. She'd been curious for weeks, practically stalking him during lunch time and on the playground. Watching from afar as he was sometimes picked up by a man dressed similarly to him. She had entered complete stealth, but in reality stalker, mode.

Maybe it was Shin-shin, Haru, Taki….he didn't look like either. Maybe something unique like Shigeo, or Tsuneo. _There was endless possibilities._ But none the young kunoichi in training could think of seemed right.

So caught up in her world of names, she failed to hear the Sensei ask her a question. The snickers finally brought her back.

"Nani?" she found the question fall off her lips, ripping her eyes away from the bugs to stare blankly at her Sensei.

"I said, can you tell me what all these faces have in common?" Sensei sighed, rubbing his temples. Sometimes he liked to mumble to himself that he wasn't getting paid enough. If the six year olds knew anything about the money system and how much trouble it was to teach young kids, they'd agree too. _He wasn't paid enough_.

"uh," Yukari stared at the faces above her. Her father sat among those faces. Next to Tsunade, someone she'd only ever heard about and her grandfather. But as usual her mind threw a blank, despite all the familiar faces, she couldn't remember. But that was usually the case anyway.

"Is she that dumb?" a voice spoke to her left, Mamoru Akimichi snickered, talking loud enough for the small red-head to hear.

Snarling, the girl stood up defiantly, "I'm not dumb." Stomping her foot angrily. Blue eyes hardening to ice. Tiny fists clenched together, ready to pommel the kid. How dare he insult her?

"What, now are you going to cry to Hokage-sama?!" the other kid stood up as well. Eyes blazing with fight. Someone was going to get severely hurt, "Aren't you, you crybaby?"

"Students please, why don't we all get along" Sensei started…

"At least I don't look like an ugly _thing_," the girl ignored her Sensei and flung the meanest insult she could think of at the chubby kid.

His cheeks reddened mouth slightly open. There was no answer that Mamoru could come up with. Instead he turned his attention to the next least like child in the class. The no-name bug keeper.

"Huh, what are you looking at Bug-lover?" he snapped, sneering at the currently nameless youth. The silent child looked at him quietly, lips pressed in a thin line. But continued to say nothing.

Brown eyes suddenly saw the line of insects crawling near him, and evil smile pulling at the corners of his lips. He wasted no hesitation on bringing his sandal clad foot onto the first insect. _Squish,_ "oh, Gomen, did I do that?"

"_Now class_—,"

No one saw it coming. A flash of fire and then the sound of crunching bones. A tiny pale fist had connected with cartilage. Fist now quivering at the Yukari's side, her blue eyes burning with fury, she spoke softly, "Don't you dare mess with _my friend_." With a flip of her long hair, she purposefully took a seat next to the bug-boy, watching in satisfaction as Mamoru Akimichi held his bleeding nose and cried.

The Sensei never had time to react. Face frozen in shock. One minute he was trying to neutralize a situation; the next one of his best students was clutching his nose bleeding all over the place. All do to the Hokage's daughter. He sighed quietly to himself. _He definitely was not paid enough._

"Hyosuke Aburame," a faint voice introduced himself, offering a faint smile toward the hotheaded girl. She gave a beaming smile in return.

On that day Yukari Uzumaki had met her closest friend. On that day she also created her first enemy.

Age 7

She'd only heard bright, starry-eyed stories about _the prodigy._ The Hyuuga that had excelled at everything. Walking along the crowded halls of school, moving between her basic ninjutsu class and weapons training, she heard the fevered whisper of his absolute _hotness. _Solo missions. A byakugan that thwarted all evil. Strong, perfect, _ah-mazing_. Yukari had her doubts. And she often voiced them to her closed confident. Hyosuke, the bug keeper.

"I mean, who does he think he is?" she pondered nibbling at the rice-ball in her hands, propped up against the school walls. Lunch time was most always eaten outside now. They said ninja's in training needed to get sun; they always forgot to mention that an over-head attack had blasted the cafeteria and all upper-grade classes into smithereens. That part was always forgotten. _Always. "thinks _he's better than everyone. Just cause everyone thinks you are an amazing ninja doesn't make you one," she huffed to the silent child next to her, his chopsticks picking at the food inside his bento box. The only visible response he gave was a raise of his eyebrows.

"I know_, I know_," Yukari sighed, taking an angry bite out of her rice-ball, "Never met him." They fell into a comfortable silence. Yukari switching between staring at her rice-ball like it was an evil genjutsu and angrily shoving it in her mouth.

"I bet he's arrogant," she finally huffed, watching a tiny kikaichū bug crawl up her sleeve, "or ugly. Yeah, _really ugly_. Everyone is just trying to be nice to him."

A shadow covered Yukari, "_Onīsan, isn't ugly," _it snapped in a hard voice.

"Onīsan?" Yukari's shot up, blue eyes analyzing the boy in barely covered shock.

He clearly came from another one of the classrooms, for she'd never seen the kid before. Maybe in the passing, but she hadn't ever taken the time to observe anyone other than her own classmates. Giant purple eyes glared out from a rounded face, dark eyebrows shoved together in anger. Black hair long and silky was pulled back in a perfect pony-tail. His netted long-sleeved undershirt peeked out from under a black shirt, a pair of capris stopping just below his knees. A child still but the making of a real ninja showed in the set his shoulders and loose hands as he glared down at her. battle-ready.

_Oops. _

"Kaito Hyuuga is my Onīsan," the kid snapped, glaring down his nose at Yukari.

The red head found her own anger bubbling, "Well, I've never met your _Onīsan _before, I wouldn't know. _I bet he is ugly_." She snarled back, standing up to glower at him.

_Excuse me, _"_Sumimasen_," Hyosuke mumbled, lifting a hand to try and get the attention of the squabbling pair, "but—,"

"He _is_ not!" the boy snapped, "My Onīsan is a great ninja, way better than your—,"

"Umm," Hyosuke frowned, eyebrows now several inches above his darkly tinted sunglasses. One of his pale fingers pointed to a spot several yards from him.

Lips open to utter another sharp jab at her opponent; Yukari felt the rage curl inside her…only to be interrupted by another hard voice. A voice filled with annoyance. A voice filled with more maturity than their seven year old selves.

"Yamete!" _stop it_, "if you want to survive in a Shinobi's world than you need to get along." The figure blocked by the young Hyuuga in training.

Head moving to the side, Yukari tried to get a look at the person talking. Emerald eyes widened fractionally at the male walking toward them gracefully.

Kaito Hyuuga. And he was not ugly. _At all._

"Toshi," the prodigy scolded, finally close enough to flick his younger brother in the back of the head, "what otou-san_ tell_ you about making arguments." The young Chuunin paused momentarily, "Kaa-san said you forgot you're lunch, so I'm bringing it to you." He lifted up one hand to show a neatly wrapped bento box.

"Ouch," he, Toshi Hyuuga, rubbed the back of his head, giving Yukari a pointed glare, "_she_ started it, that _baka_."

Flicking her curtain of flame hair, Yukari quickly got over her awe of the now admittedly hot prodigy and denied having started the argument vehemently, "You started it!" she felt like she was talking to Mamoru, just as stupid. Just as argumentative!

"I did not," Toshi snapped back, fingers clenching at his sides. A red blush rising in his cheeks. He wanted to punch her. He wanted to punch her almost as much as he wanted to become a good ninja.

While they continued to fight, Hyosuke got up and dusted his ninja pants. Whispering to his bugs to locate, Sakura. While he went to go in search for another authority besides the older Hyuuga. He foresaw the whole thing ending up messy. _As it usually did_. With Yukari most things ended up on a completely other spectrum of bad. Nightmarish more like. Only she was his closet friend. So he couldn't complain.

"Will you two—,"

This time it wasn't Yukari who took the first swing. Toshi did. And he didn't hold back. Fist to cheek. A satisfying thump echoing through the school yard. Children who had once been playing stopped what they were doing, looking over at the slumped over red-head. No one had hit the hot-headed girl before. There were always first for everything. But all the children in unison seemed to all think the same thing; was the young Hyuuga going to survive?

Yukari cradled her cheek, eyes about ready to pop out of her head. _Ouch. That really did hurt. _She could already feel the bruise forming under her fingertips. Shock clouded her system, pain suddenly spreading quickly. _Ouch._

"Toshi!" a voice cried, half-angry half-shocked, "do you know who that is?!"

"Yea, a _baka_."

"No, that's Uzumaki-hime." Voice soft.

The pain for Yukari didn't feel so bad now. Orange-red hair hiding her face, Yukari Uzumaki smiled. Not ugly and defending her. Definitely crush worthy now.

Even her first black-eye that she received from the incident a few days later was worth it.

Age 7

By seven and four months old, getting away from ANBU watchers had become a skill. While they fought to protect her in a destructive war where political deaths can mean the destruction of their village or not, Yukari used them to practice her evasive maneuvers.

She laughed quietly as she whisked through Konohagakure, feet barely touching the ground. Scarlet hair an orange ribbon streaming out behind her like a lone flame. Dodging and weaving through the crowd of off-the-job shinobi's, she headed toward the forest boarding the edge of the circle city. She'd never made it that far before. She wanted to see what lay outside the town. Wanted to feel the air high above the ground, be free from the watchful eyes of the ANBU. What was the big idea anyway? She was perfectly fine being like every other kid.

Taking a sharp turn, she watched the figures dashing across the roofs, their painted masks glinting in the bright sunlight. Some split up from their formations in search of the little fireball, expecting her to have traveled by roof. How wrong they were. To Yukari, it had become a game of hide and go ninja. An intense game that got more insane with each passing year. The ultimate test of being a ninja currently was: how long does it take to outsmart an ANBU?

At this point the ANBU hoped she earned her forehead protector when she was twelve, than at least they'd have someone else having to watch her. Some indeed felt, after watching her, they needed an early retirement. And others just thought that a higher raise would work too, not that they'd get one.

Taking another turn, she saw a group of tall trees ahead, the wall just behind it. Almost. Her breath hiked at the sudden excitement of seeing something that she had been pacifically warned never to climb. But like any good child, when a parent says "no" they really mean "yes".

Inches. Only inches away. Yukari feels free. All the ANBU back in town searching all her usual hiding spots, and here she was. She was free from watchers. Free from the stuffy Sensei's rules and marks of failure upon her papers. She was read y. Ready to peek out into the unkno—

"Oh, no you don't," a warm hand latched onto her slender arm. Blue eyes crinkled in amusement smiled down at her, hints of orange and black ninja clothes underneath his white, flame decorated, hokage official cloak.

Yukari frowned. Otou-san had not been added into her escape plans, "Otou-san, don't you have meetings?" she'd banked on the thought of him bogged down with papers as he usually was. Stuck in war-meetings and lots of S-class mission reports he sometimes could go unseen for as long as three days.

"You really don't think I wouldn't know when my own daughter is causing a huge mess, it runs in the genes" he gave her a knowing look before ruffling her head affectionately, "what is it that you want to do so bad?"

"I wanna see what over the town's walls!" she cried, shoving her father's hand away angrily, "Otou-san, _yamate_, I'm too old for that kind of _stuff!" _

"IF you keep quiet, I'll take you up to the wall," the current nine-tailed fox Jinkuuri laughed, placing a finger to his lips, "we won't tell your mother, deal?"

The seven year old nodded enthusiastically. She almost got her freedom. But now she had company. A friend. But after looking around to see if anyone was watching them and deeming it was safe, Yukari slipped her small hand into her father's. She'd take her father's affection over her freedom any day.

Age 8

The setting sun licked the windows, the purple like an expanding bruise across the sky. Yukari stood next to her sitting mother, the Sensei leaning up against his desk. All the other kids had long gone. Taken off by happy parents to a happy house. Her house may be happy on most days, but today was not one of them. Definitely not.

"You broke his nose, again?" Sakura nearly throttled her daughter right then and there. Had she no dignity. Since she was six throwing punches. She would have preferred her to be shy and sweet. _Not,_ _not this_.

"He_ deserved_ it,Kaa-san," Yukari tried to explain to her mom; "He was mean to Hyosuke-kun. _Again._"

"She is becoming quite the little problem," Her sensei sighed, taking off his glasses and rubbing the invisible specks he _knew_ where collecting on them, "Failing and public disobedience. I just don't know what to do with her anymore."

Yukari's fingers wrinkled her white shorts, eyes downcast. They expected so much her. They wanted a prodigy. Someone who could destroy lands with her pinky. Who could fight this War. _This Sixth Shinobi war_. It just seems like they had just recently declared peace. Was there no reprieve? Under all the pressure to be something more, Yukari was suffocating. Her skills her mediocre at best. One friend and zero strength. And she didn't have a demon spirit sealed inside her to stunt her strength. She was just not good enough.

"Naruto and I will take care of this. Gomenasai for all the trouble she's created," Sakura stood stiffly and bowed, casting a blood-curdling look at her daughter before walking out of the room.

Yukari followed silently, counting down the seconds in her head until her mom exploded.

5, she was going to die a painful death.

4, the kid _had_ deserved the punch.

3, why'd she always get in trouble for fighting?

2, weren't they in a _ninja_ school?

1, she was still going to die—_now_…

"Yukari Uzumaki!" Her mother seethed, turning toward her daughter, eyes like the angriest pits of hell, "What have I told you about making friends?" right on time.

The empty hallway suddenly felt suffocating, her mom's presence large and intimidating. Voice quivering, eyes hidden by bangs, she answered, "Otou-san always told me that I needed to protect the people close to me. Hyosuke-kun is my friend, Kaa-san, I won't allow him to be bullied." Her voice quaked with emotion; a lone tear streaked her cheek, "_Sorega oreno nindou da_!"

Sakura had no words to fight back with.

"Don't beat up anymore classmates," she finally muttered, anger deflated abruptly. And for Sakura Haruno-Uzumaki that didn't happen

The spunky Uzumaki watched for the Hyuuga almost obsessively. Watching Toshi after and before school to catch on glimpse of the older _prodigy, just one glimpse was all she wanted. _Even though she harbored a major fan-girl crush on the shinobi, she wanted to surpass him. One day she would be stronger than him. Or outwit him and his byakugan. There was only enough for one Sannin. For one legendary ninja. And that was going to be her. _Not _him.

So, even though she stood on her toes to try and secretly catch a glimpse of Kaito Hyuuga, another part of her despised him. Why was he so good? Why was she so bad? She rarely saw him. Some days Toshi would make a slow trek home alone, other times a parent or someone would pick him up. Kaito's appearances were rare. Sometimes he'd drop in from off the roof, sneaking up behind his brother and flicking him on the head. Other times he'd walk through the school gates nonchalantly, fingers hanging loosely at his sides. And every time she saw him, she blushed and made a point to duck behind sometimes. Make sure he never saw her secretly wondering what it was he did while we were all at school and why he was always late to pick up his younger brother. What kind of missions did they have him on? Why was he so interesting?

And that question has yet to be answered.

Age 9

Yukari stared in blatant awe at the ninjas practicing from her spot hidden atop a shingled roof. Eyes wide, she took everything in with a fevered delight. Her own dull tipped shurikens clutched in hand, she unconsciously shadowed the movements of the elder Chunnin below her. Pretending to throw the deadly weapons at invisible enemies. She needed to get better. And fast. Three years left.

You're stance is wrong," a deep voice mumbled behind her, catching the girl unawares.

Jumping in fright, Yukari spun around only to stumble on the shingles and slip off the left side of the roof. Warm fingers slid around her tiny wrists, halting her abrupt decent. Hanging in midair, she found herself staring into the pale white eyes of the eldest Hyuuga, _Kaito Hyuuga._ Long strands of ebony hair tickled her face, drawing the red heat of embarrassment to her cheeks. . .holding _her_ hand. She could barely breathe.

Kaito was the prodigy that she should've been. He'd already been assigned a team when he was seven. Passing the chunnin exams _half a month_ later. There was nothing the byakugan user couldn't do. Now he was thirteen. Stronger and more experienced than most the shinobi twice his age. A true heartbreaker. A true ninja.

Kaito pulled her firmly back to safety, lips twitching in concern, "are you okay little Uzumaki-hime?"Despite the mere four years age difference, he held the idea of her as someone years older. Someone sophisticated. Someone royal, even though she wasn't a royal. Just the _hokage'_s kid, as many refereed to her as. What was with the princess title?

"Hai," Yukari blushed, heart daring to beat quickly even though she told it not too.

Yukari fisted her palms in her long kimono shirt, hoping to dry them off discreetly. Noticing her shuriken wedged between two shingles, she moved quickly to grab them. She needed something to do. The idea of staring in appreciative awe at the prodigy and drool was just too much of a bad, _creepy_, thought to allow. She already couldn't erase the tomato blush on her cheeks; she slowly was becoming the shade of her hair. _Not cool_.

"I'm sorry to have scared you," he gave a faint smile, "I saw you on the roof and noticed your stance," he pauses for a second, "it is wrong." He added finally, folding his arms over the eccentric buttons of his cream jacket. Clearly ready to defend his statement.

"I-I-," Yukari was lost for words; it was no secret her grades were barely passing. Even in their small class of seven, she was always last. Last to learn the chakra control techniques, last to ever finally throw a kunai right. Most times she failed multiple times before an above failure attempt finally arrived. She wanted to be the best ninja. But in reality was it even a possibility? It was for Kaito. But maybe not her.

Sore o shinjiru. He father constantly said, _believe it_. If you dreamed it, than it _can_ happen.

"What's the correct way then?" The words harsher than they had been in her head. Defensive. She couldn't really be _that _bad_. Lies_.

"Get in your stance," he nodded, arm's still folded across his chest.

She did as she was told. Kaito moved around her, moving limbs as he critically watched her form. With every brief graze of skin-to-skin contact, Yukari forgot to breath. But choking the girlyness down, forcing breath into her lungs she took his advice. She was going to be the best. She had to be. Her heart may palpitate for the older Hyuuga, but one day he's _going down_.

They spent the better part of the afternoon working on her stance. To stiff. Not balanced. Lean forward. Maybe. Just ,maybe she had hope. But it was faint. Just a spark in a dark room.

Legs shaking, arms barely able to hold the weapon any longer, Kaito finally called the impromptu lesson.

"Arigatō, Hyuuga-sempei," she bowed formally, her legs and arms sore from keeping the stance for such a long time. She'd feel it tomorrow definitely. But she'd be a fraction better than three hours ago. That was a just enough reason.

"No problem, Uzumaki-himi," voice equally formal, a small smile gracing his sharp face.

As Kaito turned to leave, Yukari felt words tumble out before her teeth could shut them up, "Hey, Hyuuga-sempai."

"Hai?" pale white eyes turn to stare at her, ebony hair slipping out from under his hitai-ate and into his eye as his head turned slightly to look at her. _Those eyes._

"One day, I'm going to be stronger than you," the red-head beamed up at the prodigy, green eyes happy but blazing with a passion that would go undefeated.

In that instance, Kaito Hyuuga felt bemusement tingle through his body. As he turned to continue on his way, he smiled impishly, "I look forward to it, not that it will ever happen." Arrogance at its best.

_Challenge accepted. _

Watching the shinobi jump from rooftop to rooftop slowly turning into a black dot she could cover with her thumb, Yukari felt a blush rise up on her cheeks. Had she really just done that?

Where had the courage to make such a comment from?

But even if a summon dragged her from her own home to theirs, she was going to become the best. Believe it.

Age 11

White clouds burst and exploded and sharp winds sawed through each delicate mass of compressed water and air. Monster roared and danced, slayed by spears of useless wind. A warm winter sun stared down at an abandoned lot, watching a sweat bead along a delicate girl's crimson hairline.

"_Bunshin no Jutsu_," the hand motions where sloppy. The clone looked like a mere shell of what it should be. A fake. As the smoke cleared, the husk of the clone fell to the ground, just another failure to add to Yukari's belt.

"Why can't I do this right?" she wondered out loud, kicking a large clump of snow. Her Otou-san said she was a late bloomer. Her mom said the same thing. But that didn't get her through her exams to become a genin. That got her more years at the academy. For every year she stayed at the academy another year the Kaito Hyuuga grew in popularity and strength. She had to beat him. She had to become a sannin. Yukari-himi. The title would be earned. No one would think she was just a spoiled Hokage's kid after all.

"Sumimasen, Yukari-chan," a soft voice melted from out of the shadows, kikaichū bugs humming somewhere deep in a coat; trying desperately to keep warm.

"Hyosuke-kun," she wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand, smiling hesitantly at her closest friend, "What brings you here?"

"The bugs wanted to know why your chakra release was being done in such big amounts." The quiet Aburame shrugged, tugging his collar farther up his face, hiding it from sight. Hiding it from the world.

Yukari just hmmphed in response, settling back into her ninjutsu position.

"Bunshin no Jutsu," the chakra fizzled and popped, smoke cloaking both the young adolescents in a thick cloud.

Coughing the pair waved at the smoke trying to quickly disperse it. Yukari nearly cried at the clone in front of her. Another dud. She was helpless. A failure.

"You'll have it by the finals," Hyosuke tried to awkwardly help his friend, stiffly patting a shoulder and trying to stop all his bugs from crawling onto her. Bugs giving giant colony hugs were not a pleasant thing for most people, most merely shrieked in response and tried to kill his precious bugs. It was a _very _important lesson learned.

"Yeah," the distraught girl sighed, "Maybe that's what will happen." She picked up all her stuff quickly, shoving it into her pouch pocket; she started off down the road. Another sharp breeze rippled through Yukari's thin white jacket; she crossed her arms to help keep the chill away.

"See you at the Academy,"

Hyosuke watched his best friend disappear into the white landscape, shivering as the bugs inside his body vibrated to create warmth. No sure what to do about his friend. She had to pass. If she didn't pass she would consider herself a failure. Probably less than a failure. The dirt _that_ was under where a failure walks.

Thanks his lucky kunai that finals weren't for another year. That's a whole year to devise a plan to get her to win.

With a deep sigh, Hyosuke himself disappeared into the snow, making a note to go the library soon. There had to be a simple genjutsu that could get her through the test.

* * *

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	2. Chapter 2

2. No less a Cheater

**Disclaimer: Of course, I don't know the Naruto universe, but if I could that would be so awesome!**

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Black ankle flats tapped a staccato beat on the spotless marble floor, finger following along on the table. As if on repeat, two words flitted through her brain. A permanent stamp of unrelenting stress and failure just waiting to be stamped upon her forehead, right where a hitai-ate should be placed. _Exam day. _

On any other exam day, Yukari would be unconcerned_. Great, just another subject for her to barely pass_ would squeeze out between tight lips. Then slumping down in her chair, each word the Sensei said would flow right past her. Everyone already assumed she would have the lowest scores in the class. Why not just let them believe she didn't try. But this wasn't any other exam. This was _the exam, _the exam that could either destroy her family's reputation or allow her to build upon it.

She couldn't fail. Failure wasn't an option.

A blue cloth emblazoned with a hidden leaf insignia plaque just called her name. The way of the ninja. _Sorega oreno nindou da. _That was her life. She'd worked tirelessly, put all her power into trying to at least get average. If she failed, she'd never go home proud again. She'd rather stab herself repeatedly with a kunai than ever tell her otou-san that she'd failed the test.

Continuing her mental pacing, her fingers aimlessly hit a beat out. It pealed out into the near quiet class, louder than even the loudest speaker. A girl turned, dark black hair in an asymmetrical bob, glaring kunai-sharp eyes at her. Yukari stopped, clutching the sides of her chair to stop her movement. _Oh holy ninja, _ . .

"Relax," Hyosume whispered turning slightly to peer at her through his ebony tinted glasses, giant jacket hiding all his mouth expressions. It was a good thing the Aburame had very expressive eyebrows.

Yukari sighed, unclasping them from the chair to place them clasped on the table, eyes staring at the chalkboard with anxiety. Her feet started tapping again, the beat more a jittered jiggle than a rhythmic tune.

"I can't fail, Hyosume-kun," pale thumbs going to battle with each other, white teeth nibbled on her pink bottom lip. The usually spit-fire was nothing more but a stressed, anxious mess. Her nerves practically vibrated in the air, stirring up the bugs nestled inside Hyosume's jacket with discomfort.

Before the quiet bug-user could answer, their Sensei appeared in a puff of smoke into the room a plastic clipboard in hand calling the next child into the examination room. _Perfect timing. _

"Aburame, Hyosuke," he called without looking up, shepherding the calm male though the door to face his destiny. Crossing her fingers, Yukari wished almost as fervently as she did for herself for Hyosuke to pass. If he didn't than clearly Yukari had no chances.

Ages seemed to pass as slowly kids trickled out. Yukari's heart beating hard in her chest as the teacher appeared again and again. Practically dying inside with relief when it wasn't her name. Every time a student came back in, she checked their person for a hitai-ate , even though no one would have one. They had to go through each student and compare scores, she found a calming peace envisioning all the others failing as well. A paper, that was more like the sharp point of a knife than a useless piece of paper, would soon be posted after everyone had been evaluated. The almighty sheet of pass or fails.

Then only tomorrow teams. Only three. Nine children passed every half a year. The rest continued to schooling and hopefully passed the next. Her chances where slightly larger than slim, but it was still tight. She needed to pass._ On the first try._ The feeling was nearly suffocating her. This feeling of uneasiness flooding her body, what if she really didn't make it? The thought alone scared Yukari the most.

"Hey, Yukari-chan," a tanned hand tapped the stressed girl on the top of her brilliant red hair covered head, grabbing Yukari's attention immediately.

Turning in her seat, Yukari peered up at the girl sitting in the aisle above her. _Ine Nakuname_. Named similar to the other medic-nin, Ino Yamanaka, do to her parents obsession with their own daughter becoming a great medic nin herself. The girl was hopeless. Her future planned days after she was born. But who was she to speak. If Yukari couldn't surpass her own parents or greet them on an equal level, her future would be ruined as well. For that was the price to pay for being born to Naruto Uzumaki and, the Sannin Tsunade's own protégée, Sakura Haruno. She herself must look just as hopeless.

"What do you want, Ine-chan?" Yukari wasn't often spoken to directly, seeing as she currently held some of the worst scores in the class it was often frowned upon to be seen talking to a failure. If only her Otou-san knew of her trouble, but she'd never tell him. An "_everything is fine_" had become her staple phrase when asked about the academy. They may get called into her Sensei's classroom do to the fights she started, but her grades were never discussed much. But they'd know soon enough. Once the academy evaluation was completed, her grades would become public record. _Oh joy. _

"Are you worried?" she mumbled, flipping the lone strand of light brown hair away from her eyes, cheeks suddenly turning the same shade of red as her maroon shirt, "I mean you have the lowest grades so you would be the one most likely to fail." Oddly for such harsh words, they were not mean. They were questioning. Concerned. Certainly not a feeling Yukari had ever come across other than with her parents. _Odd_. 

Yukari watched the girl with her aqua eyes, meeting the unsteady grey suspiciously, "No." the red-head finally replied sharply, unsure how to respond to the girl's random kindness. Was this a trap?

"Oh," the brunette gave a small forced smile, clearly uncomfortable with her answer, "well, good luck to you then."

"Back at you," Yukari turned around and slumped farther into her seat, feeling unsure how to understand the whole conversation. Had Ine Nakuname just talked to her willing? Was the stress getting to everyone? Was everyone going crazy?

Hyosuke watched her out of the corner of his eyes, having been moved up front after his exam. The children who had already taken the test were to keep all talk of the test under wraps. If someone spoke about the test, automatic failure. Catching Yukari's eyes, he nodded in acknowledgement and received a small smile return.

The room continued to buzz with unrestrained stress and excitement all the way into lunch. As they filed out into the courtyard, bento boxes in hand, a small bug crawled up across Yukari's white palm, making some extravagant show of running in circles and flapping it's wings. Green eyes flicking in acknowledgment, she slipped away from the group and into an empty school room. There seemed to be more and more of them as the year went on. Less and less children surviving long enough to make it to chuunin status.

Hyosuke met her seconds later. Without anything being said, they took a seat side by side against a wall. Methodically they opened their lunches, chopsticks snapped apart, and they commenced eating.

Minutes passed in silence, Yukari broke apart the silence with a loud swallow, "What's going on?" she questioned, not even bothering to beat around the bush.

Chopsticks halfway to his mouth, he set them down slowly, a smile stretching over his thin lips, "I have an idea." As if on cue several kikaichū bugs crawled across his cream cheeks.

"You do?" Yukari swallowed hard, coughing at the rice that went down the wrong pipe, astonished blue eyes blinking over at the young bug-user. White scratched up knees hitting the dark-haired child's cloth covered ones, she smiled mischiviously slowly grew on her face, "well, _come on_ and tell me!"

"I did some research," Hyosuke shrugged nonchalantly, tugging the collar of his jacket back up past his lips effectively hiding most his face from the world once more.

"And your research found… _what_?" excitement swarmed the air, bright and warm just like sun-light itself.

"I've had my theories, but…" the Aburame whispered, pulling the red-head into a bubble of secrecy and plans. As he spoke a Cheshire smile pulled on Yukari's lips, eyes crinkling with each new syllable uttered.

The two stayed hidden out of sight in the protection of the academy walls, tucked in the shadows until they heard the footsteps of jittery many booted children filling the halls.

Packing up their stuff, the pair slipped back into the crowd; making sure to go unnoticed by the rest of the preoccupied students. Among the absent thoughts of twelve year olds, two minds swirled with plans. An immaculately planned scheme, one only a true _almost_ ninja could ever come up with.

From then on, the children seemed to pass much faster through the doors. And soon Yukari found herself growing more and more excited with each new name being called. Maybe she had a chance now. Of course cheating had never been an n idea until now. But she was hopeless, and could it really be considered cheating. It was more like helping. Yukari nodded to herself in agreement, yeah just helping.

"Name."

Sky blue met white; the slender figure standing next to the table merely crossed his arms. Yukari felt the blush rise to her cheeks; of course he'd be here. But why? Why him? He couldn't be an evaluator, no chuunin would be given the power to pass or fail academy students. So, what was he doing here?

"Your name?" a man with a scar, a long pink crescent across his nose, demanded; pulling Yukari from her own thoughts. Commanding and strong, the three instructors sat, hidden by many withering shadows, their sleek shinobi forehead protectors' faint silver glimmers in the dim light. They waited in a stony silence, waiting for the small Uzumaki to answer.

"Uzumaki, Yukari," she bowed stiffly, unsure what was going to happen. They had specifically told the children that had gone before to withhold all information of the test, if anyone gave information their hitai-ate would automatically be revoked. If that is they even passed in the first place.

"Uzumaki, Yukari," another nodded stoically, "let the test begin. _Taijutsu_."

A whisper of chakra spiked the air "Byakugan.". Yukari barely had time to react as Kaito's pointed fingers came in quick succession at her. _Jab, dodge, jab. _Had he no mercy?

Yukari found her mind drifting to another place. The moves becoming an eccentric dance of twirls and side-steps. A battle of give and take. Kaito was merciless; arms moving too fast to keep tabs on, she found it nearly impossible to get a hit it. He would simply hit her hand away and hit the chakra points on her upper arm, delivering a sharp pain every time. She'd always been good at taijutsu, but Kaito was just ridicules. Not even using taijutsu.

Round-house kicks, punches everything deflected. Thrown off balance by a blurry arm, Yukari landed hard on her butt. In seconds, Kaito was hovering over her, hands situated loosely on her throat.

"Dead." He muttered, eyes squinting at her in sudden confusion. Lips pressed down into a frown, eyes squinting down at her in suspicion. _He knew. _

"Get off me!" Yukari tried to suffocate the sudden fear tingling through her chest, fingers clenching and delivering her first solid punch to his cheek. He stumbled backwards, white eyes huge. Act like you know nothing, act normal; chanting the mantra silently, she stared down the prodigy haughtily. Fists raised in fighting position.

"Good job," A stern voice clapped twice, "now show us your clone-jutsu." Kaito moved back to the corner of the table mutely, as the man spoke, arms folded stiffly across his chest.

"Bunshin no jutsu," Yukari mumbled, closing her eyes. Hopefully it worked. It had to. It just had to.

As the smoke cleared. _Thank you, Hyosuke. It worked. They worked._ Her mind cried, as she stared happily at the three identical clones she'd created. This would be a cake.

And it was. The exam went in much the same way, the proctors asking to demonstrate various other ninjutsus and scribbling on their papers. Kaito continued to stand quietly in the corner, his job clearly done. And then she was dismissed. Sent back the classroom so they could create the list of passing students.

"Did it work?" Hyosuke uttered, turning sideways to look at his closest friend.

Yukari only smiled brightly, holding out her palm to the bug-user, "I believe these are yours." Scuttling across her palm were several pale kikaichū bugs, they spun and danced; antsy to get back to their owner.

Hyosuke took them gently, allowing them to scuttle back into the safe confines of his jacket with content buzzes.

"I made it!" Yukari fist pumped the sky, eyes proud. The unorthodox way of her passing easily forgotten in the moment, "who's stupid now, Mamoru!"

Mamoru only glared at her, "As long as you're not on _my team_ then I don't care." Yukari only smiled bigger.

She couldn't wait to tell her parents. They would be so proud for her; she wasn't a failure after all. _Except you are, _the red-head's brain muttered faintly, _you don't even deserve to be a ninja._ But she was a ninja now.

She could become a sannin now. Legendary._ Amazing_.

Besides no one would find out. hopefully. A picture of Kaito's suspicious gaze formed in Yukari's mind eye. _He couldn't possibly know._ His byakugan couldn't possibly be that good. Could it?

A whispered "Uzumaki," paused the tiny child in her steps, round chin turning sideways, green eyes scanned the ally quietly. Fingers clenching into a miniscule fist as she saw the dark figure unplaster itself from the wall, a stoic face set on the callers face. _Not him. _

_Him. Again. _Kaito might be the one Yukari practically eye-stalked, but she had had enough of him for one day. Being thrown on her butt, knocked over, and jabbed one too many times did not constitute for good behavior. In fact, she was dead beat and ready to spit flames at anyone who even looked at her weird. The only thing keeping her from punching the Hyuuga was the shiny hitai-ate the now sat snugly on her forehead. _The only thing_. Well except that her heart beat fast in her chest, which might mislead her punch to a brick wall instead of his perfectly sharp face. She couldn't ruin anyone with a _face_ like _that_.

"I know what you did," her heart stopped, blood rushed up to her cheeks. For once she wished she dressed like Hyosuke, all collars and sleeves.

"Kaito-sempai," Yukari choked down the sudden bile rising up in her throat. _He knew. He'd known all along._ Fingers curling around forearms, she felt her actions fall heavily onto her shoulders. Technically, she had cheated. Technically, she had lied. But in the end she was a ninja now.

The older ninja, stepped into the light, white eyes like diamonds. And before her mouth could form a solid thought her brain stopped connecting to her mouth. Brilliant white light dappled through emerald trees hit the prodigies face, pulling him into a light.

Slender cat-like face built from thin almost delicate bones raised in annoyance, slanted lavender eyes narrowed in suspicion, narrow ebony eyebrows shadowing his dark lashes, lips pursed in a single line. So regal in his anger. Yukari only swallowed, eyes large, "I can explain."

Lips becoming an even thinner line he continued to stare silently, so silent, at the girl. Waiting expectantly. Her excuse was going to be good.

Swallowing again, Yukari clutched her shirt tightly in her fists, "I was going to fail, Kaito-sempai. . _The bugs_. They only open the chakra up. It was my chakra, just with some help." She fidgeted uncomfortably, taking a deep interest in the cats roaming around the street post close to her left side.

Kaito moved slowly, stepping closer and closer to Yukari, eyes cold, "If any of this information got out by any chance, to the Hokage or _your soon to be Sensei_, you would never become a ninja. _Ever_." His breath whipped across her face, cool against her hot cheeks.

"Leave me alone," verbal knives, she tucked her head and started walking past. Only to be stopped by a thin but muscled arm clad in an eccentrically buckled jacket. Staring straight ahead, Yukari squared her shoulders and stayed silent. Tension thick enough to see moved between them, the empty alley barely able to contain the anger and shame filling every crevice.

Leaning close to her ear, Kaito whispered word's sharp, arrogance tainting the world around them, "You do me a favor, and let's pretend this never happened."

"What do you want?" blue eyes turned suddenly to stare at the prodigy, a blush rapidly turning her face the color of her vivid hair from the proximity.

Words were exchanged, a scroll was handed-off and Yukari was gone. Shooting out of the alley –way like she was being chased by a wild animal.

A lithe dark figure dropped down from the roof as soon as she had disappeared from sight, "was that really necessary, Sensei?" the figure asked boldly, lifting up an owl decorated AMBU mask to look at the kid directly, "you were unnecessarily harsh to Uzumaki-hime."

Kaito Hyuuga went up in a cloud of smoke. An older man stepped nonchalantly out of the smoke, rubbing his stubble covered jaw thoughtfully, "I needed Intel." He answered instead, placing a toothpick at the edge of his mouth.

"And your thoughts?" the figure asked, staying safely hidden in the shadows.

The man stuffed his hands in his pockets and started to walk away, "She's got potential. See what she does with that scroll; _tha_t is her real test." And then he was gone.

Sighing, the figure placed his mask back on and jumped back onto the roof, resuming his mission to protect one of the most valuable people in the whole of the town. Uzumaki Yukari.

Not so far away, Yukari raced up the stairs leading to her house, the scroll tucked securely in her ninja pouch. Unaware of the owl masked AMBU watching her from the shadows. Keeping an eye out for her safety. Shooting inside she was unprepared for the surprise waiting for her. two in one day. _How joyous_.  
"Congratulations!" banners fly, confetti like a giant rainbow storm flew above a very surprised red-head. Naruto and Sakura beamed down at their daughter, proud parents through and through.

Yukari forced a smile, touching the new addition to her outfit, how could she be proud when she hadn't actually passed the test herself. What a loser she was. How in the world was she going to set this right? how?!

"Thanks," She mumbled quietly, hoping that her guilty expression would be mistaken for something like shock. Maybe she could make a run for it to her room, say all that work had tired her out. Yeah right, her mother was a master medic-nin. She could read chakra signals in her sleep.

Naruto ruffled his daughters hair fondly, "I knew you could do it, Yukari!" Sakura scooped her daughter up in a proud hug, nearly breaking all of Yukari's bones in happiness. _Oh, what a joyous occasion indeed._ _For them_. Yukari wanted to curl up and die inside.

Three hours and twenty-seven minutes of torture for Yukari before she made an escape to her room. Never before had the green duvet and over-all messy appearance of the room seemed so _safe_. Kicking a broken kunai under the bed, she threw her pouch onto the floor with abandon. Flopping onto the bed, Yukari let the events of the day flow over her.

_The scroll! _Sheets thrown up, hair sticking up in all directions; the small red-head lunged toward her pouch. Grappling with the buttons, she pulled the scroll out cautiously. The words of Kaito coming back to her.

_Take this scroll. Don't read it. Don't under any circumstances open it. Give it to your new Squad Leader tomorrow. Don't ask questions. _

Curiosity burning bright in her blue eyes. Don't read it. _Do not read it._ Pale fingers, working on their own accord, untied the thin strips of string holding the scroll together. _A little peek couldn't hurt right. _Cerulean eyes widened in surprise as word's unraveled on the opening scroll.

Her mouth frowned slightly, brows scrunching together in confusion, "a hidden jutsu," she whispered to herself unable to look away. Unable to put the scroll down. What if she could do the jutsu on this scroll? Her father had learned one at her age. How hard could it possibly be? What if. What if. _What if?_

As her brain pondered all the possibilities a dark shadow shot across the Hidden Leaf Village, a large smile working its way across a pale face under the confines of an owl masked.

**Anyone figured out who Owl-mask is yet? Hmm, when do you think the secret should come out? Does she tell or someone else? **

**Also if anyone would like to have the 'family tree' of any of the characters I'd be happy to let you take a look, just pm me!**

**Please! PLEASE! PLEASE! Press that little review button below to help me continue this story! Even if it's a total of three words, I can deal. Just come and show your support…or hate. That works too, I suppose. **

**A/N: About updating, well let's just say my track record for being a reliable updater is well….pathetic (I deserve to be stoned for this!) and so I'm going to try and update about every two weeks or so but don't get antsy if I don't. I won't forget you guys, or this story, I promise! **

**Until next time,**

**Gabbwee**


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